Video goes viral with accusations, prelim probe says 4 not 5 died

Death/ Representative ImageFPJ

Patients talking to their relatives in one moment were snatched away by death soon after. What went wrong? A chaos-like situation prevailed among the district administration and health department officials on Thursday when a video went viral in which family members of patients alleged that five of their kin died within an hour at Gokuldas Hospital.

Family members of patients in the video claimed that all the patients who died were "healthy" and were talking to them just a few minutes ago but the hospital staff "did something" after which five persons died one-by-one.

“Five persons died in a span of half-an-hour. My father was talking to me a few minutes ago and then they told us that he had died. Similarly, four other patients died during the same time,” Govind Prajapat said in the video.

He alleged that even after paying the bills, the hospital was not releasing the body. “I appeal to the Collector Manish Singh to intervene into the matter,” he said.

Another person in the video alleged that the hospital staff was claiming that they were turning it (the hospital) into Green Category due to which they were sanitizing the entire premises.

“If they wanted to sanitize it, they should have shifted the patients elsewhere. In a bid to convert it into a green hospital, did they do something 'wrong', following which the patients died?” a man asked in the video.

It was the second video that went viral against Gokuldas Hospital in two days. Earlier a family member of a retired army officer alleged extortion against the hospital after it hid COVID-19 reports for six days.

Free Press also made several calls to Dr Sanjay Gokuldas but he didn’t take the call.

CMHO started investigation, claimed four deaths on Thursday

After the video went viral, Collector Manish Singh immediately asked the Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Pravin Jadia to investigate the matter. He also directed an SDM for the same.

Dr Jadia seized the record of the hospital and also the treatment cards of the patients and started investigation, late on Thursday night.

“We have started investigation. Prelim probe revealed that four patients had died on Thursday and not five and not in an hour's time. Those died include three COVID-19 negative and one suspected i.e. Parasram (70), Salma Bi (50),Bhawarlal (70) and Abida Bi (55) (suspected),” Dr Jadia said adding one patient died at 11.20 am, another at 3.15 pm and rest of the two patients at 4.30 pm and 5.40 pm.” He claimed that all had co-morbid conditions and investigation is on.

CMHO also said no sanitization was being done on Thursday. It has been planned for Friday. He also said that patients would be shifted and the hospital would be sealed.

Police serves notice to hospital

Following the complaint of a retired army officer’s family member for hiding the COVID-19 reports for six days, Tukoganj Police Station in-charge Nirmal Shrivas had served a notice to the hospital.

“We have served a notice on the basis of complaint. We will take action against them if they fail to give satisfactory response,” the police station in-charge told media.

Kamal Nath too tweeted the video

Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath too tweeted the video of Gokuldas Hospital and raised concern over conditions of hospital in MP under the tenure of Shivraj Singh Chouhan.